Backup Camera Installation Guide: How To Do Installation

Every modern car owner needs to study backup camera installation guide to learn how to go about it. There are different kinds of rear-view cameras on the market. At first, you have to find out the best backup camera. Most of these rear-view cameras are not difficult to install.

You can do the installation by yourself after reading the installation guides or watching video tutorials about how to have them installed. After reading the tutorials, you can understand the various components it required and know how these components work.

Having an idea of that is going to assist you in the installation process is equally important. Even first-time users can easily get them installed after reading the guides. Most manufacturers make these guides available. You only need to understand them and know the various components.

Backup Camera Installation Guide

There are different ways of installing the backup camera. One of them includes the trigger wire-based system. If you want to install it based on trigger wire system, the best thing that you need to understand is the various components.

Backup camera installation for beginners

When you understand these components, the next thing that you need to know is how to install each of the components because the camera cannot work if all the components are not properly installed.

One thing you need to know about backup cameras is that they use similar components and this means that if you have installed any version previously, you are not going to find it hard to install another brand. If you want to use trigger wires, the information provided here is going to assist you in the installation process. Before installing the backup camera you need to know how do backup cameras work.

Trigger wires installation guide

For the installation, you need the following items and they include:

The camera

The power harness

RCA cable

These are the most important items you require, there could be a few others.

The camera

The camera is the most important item you need during the installation. The camera is similar to the monitor. This is because they have similar features such as single cable and DC power plug as well as yellow RCA. You need the camera to observe the objects as you drive.

Power harness

The power harness is another instrument you need for the connection and the installation. This includes DC power connector. It comprises of 12 volts power lead, as well as black ground lead. This is mainly a male DC power connector. It also includes female 12 volts power pin and so on.

RCA Cable

This is another item needed for the backup camera installation. This is discussed in the camera section and it usually includes the yellow RCA video cable. This is used for video connection. The function is to feed the monitor from the camera.

The cable length can vary and it can range from 18 feet to 25 feet long. There are instances where the cable can be bare red lead. It is a raw lead, and it can be used for different things.

Moreover, it is important to state that during the installation process that these cables are used differently. For instance, the yellow inputs are meant just for the video signal while the red and the black input is designed for power and so on.

backup camera installation guide step by step

Furthermore, it is important to remind the users that the monitor may not have trigger wire, this does not suggest that it can only be used manually. This is not the case. Most monitors are not fitted with trigger wire and that is because they possess what is known as video sense feature. The video feed can always make them run automatically.

Backup Camera Installation processes:

If you want to go on with the installation, here are the steps and procedures you must observe in doing that.

1. Cutting hole in the bumper:

The first stage of the installation process is that you have to draw power to that monitor and you do that by simply connecting the red wire to the volt power, and connect the black wire to the ground. To send power to the monitor, you have to go to the fuse box. The way the monitor operates is determined by the trigger wire used for the connection.

The best way to install it is by connecting it to the positive side of the vehicle reverse light. When this is turned on, the monitor would turn on automatically whenever the gear is placed on the reverse.

If you want to install it for manual operation, you do not have to connect this. The connection can be done at the source, and this means that whenever the key is turned on the monitor is turned on.

It will turn off whenever you turn the engine is off. This mechanism is the best for those that use commercial vehicles.

2. Installing the camera:

You have just seen the first step of the connection. The second step is quite different from the first. For this connection, you simply connect the A4 harness, which is known as the male harness to the camera’s output, which is generally regarded as the female output.

3. Connecting power to both the monitor and the camera:

In this step, you have to send power to the camera by simply connecting the red wire to the 12 volts of power. Alternatively, you can do that by connecting to the positive side of the vehicle’s reverse light, as well as connecting the black to the ground.

4. Install the monitor:

When you are sure that the monitor is already taking power from the fuse box, and the camera is equally drawing power from the reverse tail light, it is time to set the system working.

You continue the connection by connecting it to the camera and you do that using the standard yellow cable also known as the A5 cable. While doing that connection, refer to the information provided above because it is going to guide you through the connection process.

When you are sure that the connection is through, the next thing is to tidy up the connection. Anytime the key is turned on, or when it is put in the reverse gear, it will start working.

Video based connection system

Backup camera installation guide discussed above is not for the video based system. It is for trigger wire based system. The connection is almost the same with the previous ones discussed above.

The first thing that you need to do when you want to do video based connection is to master all the components. This is going to facilitate the installation process.

Components

For video based connection, you require the following items and they include the following:

Monitor

Monitor power harness

The camera

Camera power harness

The RCA cable

These are the basic components or items that you require for this type of connection. These items are supposed to perform important functions and these functions are as shown below:

The monitor

For this installation, the monitor is indispensable. The monitor for this type of connection features a pigtail. This, in turn, features video inputs. The inputs are for RCA cables, which have different jackets for red, white, and yellow cables.

how to install backup camera step by step guide

White and yellow jackets are designed for the video input. If you were used to such wirings in your television set, you are not going to find this installation difficult because it takes the same wiring process.

Monitor power harness

This is another important aspect of the installation process. The monitor features a power harness, which is always attached to the red or black DC power connector. On the opposite side of it is two wires.

They include the red wire and a black wire. The black wire, as usual, would go the ground while the red wire goes to the positive power and so on.

The camera

The camera is the most important part of the system. This is not the same thing with what you find in the trigger connection. They are different in some ways. It features two part harnesses. This type of camera does not require large holes and it can be connected in a waterproof fashion.

Camera power harness

This includes a male DC power connector and this goes to the power leads. The DC power connector goes to the 12 volts power lead just as the black is meant for the ground lead. It equally uses a female pin, which is the 12 volts power.

RCA cable

Another aspect of the installation process is the RCA cable. This is an important aspect and it includes the RCA video cable, which is connected to the camera. It serves an important purpose and it feeds the monitor from the camera.

Installation process

For the video based backup camera installation, this is the stages it will take:

First step:

You have to start the installation process by connecting the DC power harness to the monitors designed for power input. You have to determine that and do the proper connection.

Second step:

The second step of that connection is to take the connection to the power monitor and you can do that by connecting the red wire to the 12 volts power and take the black to the ground. Usually, the power that goes to the monitor is taken from the fuse box.

Third step:

It is the time to connect the video pigtail and the camera power to the camera’s connector. The pigtail as said is important because it makes power available to the camera as well as connects the video output to the monitor and so on.

Fourth step:

Connect the power to the camera and you can do that by simply connecting it to the red wire and the 12 volts power. Black cable should go to the ground as usual. The Power that goes to the camera often comes from the reverse tail light.

In this type of connection, it is important to state that whenever power reaches the camera, it turns on the monitor. This means that it is automatic in its operations.

After this connection, you would notice that the monitor takes its power from the fuse box and the light to the camera comes from the reverse tail light. To complete the connection, you only need to connect the two and you can complete that connection by using RCA cables. When you have done that connection, you would notice that the system would begin to work once you use the reverse gear.

It is important to restate here that when you want to embark on the video- based connection that cable length is very important just as it in the trigger based connection. Because of that, it is recommended that you consider cable length.

The best length is eighteen feet to twenty-five feet long. In some cases, the cable contains red lead and it can always become part of that cable. Usually, the lead cable used for this type of connection is raw in nature and because of that, it can be used for different purposes.

installing guide for backup camera

The red lead cable is used for this type of connection because it can continually be used to power that cable. You need it in a situation you want the camera to be in the vehicle continuously.

Furthermore, some people would complain that the system does not work after they have completed the connection process. This can be because of the way the connection is done. When performing this type of connection, yellow input cables are used solely for video signals, and nothing more.

In the same way, black and red inputs are used for a different purpose and that is power connection and nothing more. This means that when you are doing the connection, you must do the correct wirings before the system can work for you.

Conclusion

This is what it takes to install the backup camera. The installation process is not difficult as you can see from what has described above. Usually, manufacturers include guides that can assist you in the connection and installation process.

This means that you should read the instructions and follow it. Apart from that, video tutorials are attached, you can watch the video tutorials and do according to the instructions. You can do it by yourself. If you think that it is not easy for you to do it, you can hire an expert to do it for you.